Majoring in Economics

The Department of Economics offers a program that stresses a strong theoretical background, quantitative analysis, and an emphasis on national and international issues. Students who graduate with an economics major are well prepared to continue their education in a variety of fields or to work successfully in business and government because of the strong liberal arts emphasis within the major.

The department offers six majors: Economics, Applied Economics, Mathematical Economics, Business and Economics, Computational Economics, and Economics and Political Science (Education majors only).

The Economics major and the Applied Economics majors lead to careers in the business world or government. The Mathematical Economics major is designed for students who intend to attend graduate school in economics or another quantitative field such as finance or operations research. It is also designed to serve students to work in quantitative fields immediately upon graduation, e.g., research analysts or actuaries. Computational Economics provides a liberal arts entry into the field of computer science. The combined Economics/Business Administration major allows students great flexibility in order to explore both fields. Finally, the teaching major in Political Science/Economics allows secondary education licensure students to obtain a solid background for teaching economics.

The study of economics provides a firm foundation for confronting change because it presents a disciplined way to analyze and make choices. An Economics major prepares students for community leadership and leads to a great diversity of career opportunities including law, teaching, journalism, and private and public international service. Pre-law and potential Master of Business Administration students are especially encouraged to consider Economics as a major or a minor.

Students are able to combine an Economics major with other disciplines such as Business Administration, International Relations, Mathematics, Management Information Systems, Political Science, History, and area study programs. Students who are interested in any type of quantitatively-oriented graduate program in economics or in business are encouraged to either major or minor in Mathematics. These students should also take courses in Computer Science. Consult an advisor for specific course suggestions.

For the Economics and Applied Economics majors, the capstone experience is ECO 490 – Research Methods in Econometrics. Students in other majors should consult their advisor for alternatives. Internships are recommended. Students must consult with the department chair and the Strommen Center before registering for an internship for academic credit.

Note: Transfer students must complete at least three upper division economics courses for a major and two for a minor. Transfer classes must have been completed in the last 10 years with at least a 2.0 grade.